Fallout 76 Diaries

Vault ID photo. Look how glad she was to be leaving the vault. “What? You want me to leave my warm, safe bed and go out into a hostile environment where even the plants and air want to kill me?” She was so happy. She hasn't changed much in appearance. Sure she's tried a few different hairstyles and she got a good ol' forced smile scar, but otherwise she's always been the same. Just wish they'd add in more hairstyles that were practical and not goofy.

First base camp built just north of the vault along the road. It didn't consist of much. A couple squares with just enough space to have a bed, stash, chair, and a ski resort poster. The posters become something I generally always put by my bed now whenever constructing new camps. Outside a cooking station and a few plants with a single turret. It wasn't the best, but it worked for what it needed to be.

I built another camp following this one a little west of the Tyler County fairground. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of it but it was a bitch to access, if I remember, as it was built along the hillside in a forest so the stairs had to be jumped onto and there was a tree in the way. Incredibly frustrating but a bit bigger as it had more work benches inside and what not.

Inside the bedroom of my third camp, which was east of Point Pleasant right along the mountainside. This is the first one that I purposely went out to find a good spot for. My requisite at the time was that it just be nice. At first the camp was fairly small with everything all over the place. There was one main building with the bed and whatnot, there was the deck with the work benches, and a small hut covering the generator for the water purifier. Gradually, everything came together inside one large building and a second floor was added. When vendor stations came online I tried my best to add them in but the only space available had a tree in front of the stairs making it a huge inconvenience for anyone wanting access, myself included. Not that it mattered, didn't really have anything to sell anyway. In this one I was just playing with the filter. Also got the prisoner collar as soon as I knew it was out there and haven't taken it off since.

I'm not a fan of multi player games and even if I'm thrust into the world of them I try and play them alone as often as possible. It's caused me to run from overwhelming odds and such. The case of first trying to get my collar was definitely one of them. For those wondering, I found mine at the jail. You go in the front entrance and then round the corner into the first room. They're right there on the desk. My first venture in, however, I went right into the jail proper after narrowly getting away from super mutants on the outside. Inside things were simple, nothing to really worry about. Sure there was a ghoul every now and then but things were safe. Until I went in deeper and found out what a labyrinth the place was. Soon, ghouls were rushing me from every corner and chasing me down through the corridors. I would have to jump barricades just for the time to activate a stimpack or radaway. Eventually I made it out but there were still super mutants and the ghouls had followed me. Thankfully so as they and the super mutants engaged one another allowing me to get away and into my power armor frame so I could fast travel away, given I was over encumbered with no time to really deligate what I was taking with me. In that instance I didn't even get the collar and had to go back when I found out the easier path.

There are definitely dark elements within this game, you just have to go out and find them. Or, in some cases, find the perfect way to look at them. I know there are those out in the world who have roleplayed themselves a perfect story for their character. Traders, medics, even a bartendar. Most of these are told through their camps as I've seen a variety of types. One of my favorites being someone who turned their camp into a saloon with a variety of shops and I felt compelled to purchase something because I just loved the design of the camp so much. I wound up buying plans for deck chairs and the better thing is as I was leaving he chased after just to wave. I've waved at a variety of people in the game and have shared a few hearts. I've left things in train stations and outside vault 76. Todd Howard said that they were surprised that in a post apocalyptic world where players were free to do what they wanted, they were waving and helping one another out. The story of Fallout 76 is a bland one, the gameplay is no different than Fallout 4, which is rally only an upgrade from both Fallout 3 and New Vegas, the atomic shop is a festering ground of greed and corruption slowly spilling over, so why do I keep coming back? Because sometimes it's nice even when in a world with hardly any future you can still get a wave or a heart.

I suck at battle royal modes, just going to put that out there. I suck at competitive games and for me, whenever I venture into that world, I don't ask “How many will I kill?” it's more “how long until I die”. I did get one kill and I was rather proud of that.

So I was saying earlier about characters and their stories. My character really has none. She's just someone who wants to run around and explore. Find out what happened and wave at people. She has no love for any of the mentioned factions and in the coming Wastelanders DLC I've no clue where she's going to side. Typically I side with raiders in other games, but...we'll see. I also forgot she still had leg armor on there.

I think some of my favorite photos are the atmospheric ones. The ones where the world around tells more of the story than what my character is doing in them or rather she reacts to the world. Photos that, unless you were there, can tell a story that far exceeds the actual definition of the image itself.

Because...yep.

At times I will often walk around my surroundings and wonder how they would fair in a post apocalyptic environment. What would still be standing, where would be the best places to go. In these games you're often given a whole lot of nothing and then something and sometimes you ask yourself “Why was this spared? How could something as flimsy as a rollercoaster be standing when entire buildings would crumble”. It's difficult to tell but, at times, fun to imagine.

 

Some of these photos, like the atmospheric ones, were difficult to acquire. Simply for the sake I didn't want people to know I was taking them or someone just wouldn't stand still. I must have followed Graham for ten minutes or so just to get the two of us facing the same way for a photo. This was after the Meat Week event though even then he has a habit to wander around.

My fourth camp came in the Toxic Valley. It was another location I hand picked for its view. The only downside to it was that loading in placed me a few cliff ledges down meaning I would have to climb all the way back up just to access my camp proper. This is also the first camp where I took the time to design out a place for visitors. It's a small shack with four squares. Inside is a couch, two radios each representing one of the two stations in the game, the vendor spot, a punch bowl, bed, and a guitar as well as a friendly companion in the form of a hedge cat. I wanted the place to be comfortable for those coming in. A place where you could do most everything you'd want to achieve. Perhaps in my sixth camp I'll build a bar.

I really tried to get the camera outside the cage. The game wouldn't let me. So take a seat inside this raider cage with my character.

The sixth camp is at the corner of the Ash Heap and the first camp I built for its position by water. I figured it was about time I did just that. It spawns me into the water, which means I run the risk of starting a game with a disease, but otherwise it's a good camp and the one I'm currently using. One of the interesting things about it, at least I find, is the pack of lawn flamingos there with the sign “PAM” by them. I also have a brahmin, so I'm sure any visitors might think it's just its name, but in fact a group of flamingos is called a “pam”. So...figured I'd answer the question.

Surprisingly, this photo wasn't that hard to accomplish. I thought I'd have to struggle with the settings and position but...nope. Only once did I have to do that. If there's one detail about my character, it's the same detail that is present with the Minuteman character I have set for Fallout 4, obviously. It's that they both adore the Nuka Girl character.

Something I've steadily begun to do is find the vaults. There are still two that elude me but I'll get to them. Once I'm of level.

As for my overall thoughts on the game, I think I've left enough here. I'm not going to bore anyone with a review because I don't think anyone would really care to hear what I think of something like this. By this point it's not going to change any opinions one way or another. That's all. Frankly, in this, I just wanted to share my photos, It's a silly mode for such a game genre, but the addition that these are rotated into your loading screens is a nice touch. It reminds you of any moments you might have had. Friends you've made, enemies you've conquered, moments you've experienced. So I'm glad that it's there and perhaps even moreso pleased that it's optional. That's really about it.